Pippin Steals the Show

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Pippin, as Presentation student and female lead Talia Rossi ’17 put it, is “a show within a show, where Pippin, led by a performing troupe, tries all sorts of things from magic to being a soldier.” Talia and Mr. Lum, the director, both warned that the musical would be full of twists and surprises that would captivate the audience.

Pippin begins with a magical performing troupe, who tell the story of Prince Pippin and his goal of finding meaning and adventure in his life. The musical takes a sharp turn when the Leading Player, who leads the performing troupe, tells Pippin that he must fight tyranny, namely King Charles’s reign. Pippin follows these instructions and becomes the new king, but soon realizes that it is impossible to satisfy everybody’s needs and that killing his father was a mistake. Pippin is left in a whirlwind, directionless and still cannot find meaning. Talia calls the show “a must-see that will keep everybody on the edge of their seats” and also says that show offers something for everyone, including “singing, dancing, acting, magic, lights, stunts, tricks, and, of course, drama.”

Mr. Lum hopes for the production was that it would connect to students as he believes the message of Pippin is that “we are so often planning out our life to achieve grand and wonderful dreams, that we end up getting lost in these and don’t truly live life.” Mr. Lum and the rest of the cast have made it their goal to “really nail the theme” in order to get the musical’s message across and inspire others. They have also made it their goal to appreciate the opportunity of performing the musical because “putting on a show is such a gift, and it really needs to be appreciated.”

As the final curtain fell the room erupted with thunderous applause. Clearly, the cast and crews gift was much appreciated.